Running water lines

[84dime]

Well guys today is the day i start running my hot and cold water lines. Of coarse i have questions so here i go...

1. Do i come out of the tank into the pump and "T" with one line going into the water heater and the other going to all the cold pipes?

2. I plan to use an accumulator so where does this get plumbed in at?

3. I dont do much traveling (yet) and I would like the idea of running off of city pressure via a garden hose, is this do-able?

Thanks guys -Josh

[gumpy]

Ok, first, answers to your questions.

1. Depends on how extensive and how useful you want to make your plumbing. Simplest is how you describe. More complex would involve manifolds and valves for various runs and functions.

2. Accumulator can be plumbed into anywhere in the system, after the pump. It's basically a tank with a single entry point, so pressure in the main line will fill the accumulator if it's tee'ed off
somewhere in the system.

3. Yes, consider setting up your system so that a single entry point can be used to fill the tank, or can bypass the tank and pressurize the entire bus system.


Here's a link to the page on my website which discusses how I set up my own fresh water system. Of course I'm biased, but I consider it the best way to set up a main manifold. It allows me to
do everything I need or want to do, including shore pressure, tank fill, pressurized hose connector, suction of adding antifreeze or sanitizing, etc.

http://www.gumpydog.com/Bus/MC9_WIP/Plumbing/Fresh_Water_Distribution/fresh_water_distribution.htm


craig

[robertglines1]

may I suggest that you can make your water heater drop after the accumulator(expansion tank)which ever you use any where it is convenient in routing your cold water lines could be a Tee at the point  when it passes hot water heater..you can do the city water hook up with a valve isolating your water pump and another valve spliced into line with a hose coupling on it;just shut one off and open other...there are more complicated ways to do this but this would be simple...I put a switch where the valves or located (elect) to turn power off to the pump when running on supplied water(city) you might want to purchase a pressure regulator for city water that goes on the end of your hose to protect you system from to high of pressure....I also like to locate plumbing so in the winter it all drains to the lowest possible point:on mine it is between the tank and pump and is just a tee with a valve on it so in the winter I just open valve and it drains everything but the hot water heater...tank and all..open faucets...glad your that far..just remember water runs down hill...happy busing..I see Craig posted also while I was typing....I build with the Kiss principle...KISS  keep it simple stupid...for me thats better...Bob

[Just Dallas]

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[bobofthenorth]

This is a pretty crude schematic but its what I have.  If I was doing it from scratch I would put a 3-way electric ball valve in for the winterize valve(s).  We try to avoid having to winterize but the main tank winterize system doubles as an onboard fill system for the drinking water or fresh water tanks.  I strongly encourage plumbing everything to manifolds.  We don't have an accumulator on the fresh water - it would be nice to have but so far I haven't got around to adding one.  If you do put in an accumulator be sure to put a shutoff valve in the line.  If you manage to get antifreeze into the accumulator tank it will bedevil you for a long long time.

[84dime]

Thanks guys for all the replies.

[84dime]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but can i use PVC cement to bond PVC to PEX? I have never use PEX before so not to familiar with it. Thanks -Josh

[gumpy]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but can i use PVC cement to bond PVC to PEX? I have never use PEX before so not to familiar with it. Thanks -Josh

No. You'll need to use adapters to go between PVC and PEX. Use a female PVC adapter and a male PEX connector to screw into it.

[Just Dallas]

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[cody]

To add a side note on the pex idea, you can buy it in red or blue, makes it easy to spot a hot water line or a cold water line based on the color.

[JackConrad]

We used CPVC in our coach (PVC is not rated for hot water) when we did it 11 years ago. If I was doing another one today (Paula says "that ain't gonna happen" LOL), I would use PEX, red for hot and blue for cold.  I would purchase the rigid lengths instead of the rolls. Using nthe rolls leave low spots that can trap water when trying to drain the system.  Jack

[gumpy]

While the points about draining the system are good, I question if you can really make a fresh water system that will completely drain by gravity. My goal was to get my system to drain
by gravity, but in reality, there are low spots in several places that will not drain. Over time, even CPVC and rigid  PEX will sag, leaving low spots. 
I also don't trust the fixtures and appliances to drain on their own. There is a loop of tubing inside my toilet that is filled with water. There's no way that can drain.

Therefore, if you live in cold weather and must winterize, plan on using compressed air to blow out the system, and then using the pump to
suck RV antifreeze in and push it through the entire system, including all fixtures and appliances. That's the only way to ensure cold weather will not
damage your water system. Also, remember to open all ball valves before winter. Water trapped in the closed ball will break the valve. BTDT.

craig

[84dime]

Well here in Oregon it rarely gets below 30 deg. so winterizing will not be a problem. When i bought the bus it had a roll of PEX that i had to use to get through a tight spot where it had to kinda bend (not to the point that it would start to crease) but i had about 20 10' lengths of CPVC and a bunch of fittings so i think i will go that rout for now but will be very easy to change if ever need be. Thanks guys for the help. -Josh

[belfert]

Why use compressed air before the antifreeze when winterizing?  I tried compressed air with my former travel trailer once and I spit water forever out of the fixtures.  I decided just to use antifreeze.  My bus uses about a gallon and a half of antifreeze.  I could probably use less if I had help when winterizing,

My bus is plumbed with PEX and I like it.  I used the Sharkbite fittings.  PEX tubing is made by different processes and some tubing is way more flexible than others.  I used PEX by Flair-It I believe.

[bobofthenorth]

That's a very good question Brian. I winterized with only pink stuff for years but at the end I started blowing the lines out and then adding the pink.  Its probably simply a case of "its too easy that way so let's make it more complicated."  In theory there is a chance that water will remain in the lines and dilute the pink stuff but that was never an issue for me.  The one small theoretical advantage to blowing first and then adding antifreeze is that you will clear the water out between the street check valve and the rest of the system.  In theory that is a dead spot that could remain without adequate antifreeze if you didn't blow the lines first.  Like I said, I winterized with no air for a long time before I started blowing the lines first and I never had a problem doing it that way.  Most people will never see worse winter weather than we used to.  I remember one winter when we left Nipawin in -46 weather and returned 3 weeks later to -46 weather.  If that isn't going to freeze a line then likely the winterizing procedure is adequate for all conditions.